100 Meters Review – Mesmerising Animation of Emerging Sports Stars in Search for Physical and Spiritual High
A great deal has been recorded about the act of running, a therapeutic exercise with capacity for therapeutic unburdening. Within the context of professional sports, yet, the strain of rivalry can cause individuals to overlook of this primary objective. Adapted from the original graphic novel, Kenji Iwaisawa’s enthralling anime looks beyond trophies and medals to examine the inner motivation that drives an athlete’s ambition.
Narrative Summary
The 100-Meter Film traces Togashi and Komiya, youth companions whose personal journeys diverge when they turn professional. Once the speediest young pupil in Japan, Togashi assists the less confident Komiya with the fundamentals. As the twosome move through their adolescence and adulthood, Komiya steadily accelerates up the leaderboard of top athletes, while Togashi is mired in a rut; both confront fears and doubts. Spanning more than 15 years, the narrative tracks their internal hurdles, exposing the struggles of an competitor’s existence, caught in a loop of societal observation, result pressures and commercial obligations.
Artistic Strengths
Perhaps it’s down to the base story, but the movie’s approach to these complicated problems is somewhat facile; time and time again, a character’s inner doubts just vanish after a extended discussion with a colleague or elder. But what 100 Meters falls short in narrative subtlety and tempo, it compensates for in breathtaking graphics. Using live-action tracing, in which drawn art is superimposed on live-action footage, the feature creates remarkably precise dash moments. The bodily strain of a dash is clearly shown, and the pain and the joy of competition are etched on the protagonists’ forms.
Impactful Sequences
One especially significant race ends in the downpour, with sheets of charcoal lines that immerse the scene. Beyond spoken words, these bursts of stylistic brilliance capture the near-transcendent euphoria the film aims to evoke.
100 Meters is released in Britain from 16 November.
